Effects of bisphenol A on breast cancer and its risk factors

Abstract

The incidence of breast cancer in Korea has been increasing for the last two decades (1983–2005), and now, breast cancer is ranked the leading cause of cancer in Korean women. Along with other endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), bisphenol A (BPA) has been suspected as a potential risk factor for breast cancer. We studied potential associations between BPA exposure and breast cancer risks in Korean women by performing biomonitoring of BPA among breast cancer patients and controls (N = 167). Blood samples were collected between 1994 and 1997 and kept over 10 years in a freezer under well controlled conditions. The blood BPA levels determined by HPLC/FD, ranged between LOD (0.012 µg/L) and 13.87 µg/L (mean ± SD, 1.69 ± 2.57 µg/L; median, 0.043 µg/L). In age-matched subjects (N = 152), there were some associations between BPA levels and risks of breast cancer, such as age at first birth and null parity. However, there were no significant differences in blood BPA levels between the cases and the controls (P = 0.42). Considering interactions between BPA exposure and risks of breast cancer, we suggest further enlarged biomonitoring studies of BPA to provide effective prevention against breast cancer.